The newly named Teacher Assistant of the Year for District 2, which includes Onslow County, Bailey said each day that she goes to work at Carolina Forest Elementary School she does so with the intention of making a difference in a child’s life.

“That’s what I want to do is make a difference for children. I love what I do. I really feel like this is what God intended. God intended for me to work with children,” Bailey said.

Bailey has already made a substantial difference to first year teacher Tyler Dubose who teaches kindergarten.

Each day, Bailey holds a “morning meeting” in the classroom and goes over math, reading, sight words and more with the students, allowing Dubose to check folders and prepare for the day’s lessons. Bailey also leads the students in crafts and helps decorate bulletin boards for the classroom.

She also helps teach, tutors, is assistant coach for Battle of the Books, has coached Girls on the Run, is on the school’s safety committee and is car coordinator for child pick up.

“She has tons of resources, tons of ideas ... and she’s shared it all, which helps me,” Dubose said.

When she was called to the office on Feb. 4 and was told she had been given the distinction by the N.C. Association of Teacher Assistants, Bailey said the news was “shocking.”

Each school within the district’s 13 counties is able to nominate a teacher’s assistant for the honor, according to school officials. From there, one is chosen. On Saturday, Bailey will interview with candidates from each of the state’s eight districts for the title of North Carolina Teacher Assistant of the Year.

Principal Helen Gross has no doubt of the outcome.

“She’s going to win,” Gross said.

Bailey taught preschool at Northwoods Methodist from 1998 to 2008 and then was a substitute teacher in Onslow County Schools for two years before being hired as an instructional assistant at Carolina Forest in 2010.

She was selected as Onslow County Schools teacher assistant of the year in 2012, according to information from the school.

“It’s not even just a job for me,” Bailey said. “I come here because I love it, I come here because I want to make a difference.”

Amanda Hickey is the government reporter at The Daily News. She can be reached at amanda.hickey@jdnews.com.